Zaid Ismail's Blog, page 28

Gratitude starts with you

The very essence of gratitude lies in recognising the value of what we have. That sounds obvious, yet so many take for granted the lives that they have while yearning for a life that feels out of reach. The moment we long for something that isn’t there, we risk taking for granted that which is […]

The post Gratitude starts with you appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Are you losing yourself?

It’s easy to lose yourself if you don’t really know who you are, or who you want to be in a given moment. Far too often, we demand a specific response from others because of what we need, not because of what we are hoping to achieve, or create. Do we want to create peace, […]

The post Are you losing yourself? appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Understand. Then accept. Then forgive.

I see so many who claim to have forgiven, but are still weighed down by what was done to them. There’s an important difference between forgiving as a means to forego punishing someone or demanding retribution, versus forgiving because you truly understand why someone behaved badly. When that understanding is lacking, it makes it impossible […]

The post Understand. Then accept. Then forgive. appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

The weight of life

How often do we judge others for being moody just because they’re easily annoyed at things that don’t go smoothly for them? How often do others judge us for the same thing? Moodiness is most often our way of communicating that we’re unhappy about repeatedly being taken for granted, when we’re tired of communicating that […]

The post The weight of life appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Your world. Your worries.

I walked on the lawn with bare feet the other day. For a moment my senses were teased and I felt grounded. I gazed around the garden and looked past the sprouting indigenous trees, and instead noticed the chores left unfinished, or new ones that begged for my attention. I walked on and paid little […]

The post Your world. Your worries. appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Don’t test the ones you love. Love them.

Ever find that despite your best efforts, someone close to you just never appreciates what you do for them? Ever feel like you’re having to fulfil their expectations in detail about how to do something the way that they want you to do it before they are satisfied with you? Even then, when you do […]

The post Don’t test the ones you love. Love them. appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

The gift of who you are

It’s human to feel fatigued or despondent. But, it’s not human to give up. We’re wired to persevere. To overcome. To prevail. To improve what we have around us. When we feel oppressed in our efforts to achieve these ends, we either grow despondent, or we grow aggressive. Both those reactions are an indication that […]

The post The gift of who you are appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Judge, as you would like to be judged

When we behave badly, we pacify ourselves by focusing on what we intended, or why it was understandable for us to behave that way. When others treat us badly, we’re more inclined to assume that it is a true reflection of how little we mean to them, or how malicious they are. The moment we […]

The post Judge, as you would like to be judged appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

The insincerity of self-loathing

As always, you cannot give what you don’t have. You can’t give someone a smile if you don’t have one yourself. Similarly, you cannot appreciate what you’re ungrateful for. If you take yourself for granted, any appreciation that you express towards others is based on you wanting them to feel appreciated the way that you […]

The post The insincerity of self-loathing appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Own your choices. Own your life.

Surely my sincere pursuit of happiness and enlightenment cannot be the cause of my own misery? Why didn’t someone make me aware of it? Why didn’t someone say something? Why couldn’t they just understand what I was going through? Even if all those questions are answered in the affirmative. it does not change the reality […]

The post Own your choices. Own your life. appeared first on Zaid Ismail.